pigeons, jamil naqsh and i

they have been older than you and I
hence the ornithological ramblings today
on columba livia and homo sapien

they blow their chest and circle the female
we vow till death or till another fair one smiles
they drag their rear while chasing females
we chase the rears to come ahead
they stick close to their intended target
we stray from target to target to target

look intently, rarely any two are alike
and with our similarities, we differ mightily
they are polymorphic, shades of gray
and white and colours in between
we are monomorphic, black, white
red and blue and colours in between

they have orange or red-orange eyes
we compensate with coloured lenses
they suck water, we use straws
- for arguments and diet drinks
they are solid and speckled and
we are tall, short, dark and fair
they have feet of red, iridescent necks
we have faces red and who knows
if harnessed energy harnesses us
might end up glowing in the dark

they fly fast, home-in uncannily
we wander lazily, long for home
after dark, they congregate on the window sills
as we fight traffic to our shacks, flats, houses
they have been around for 20 million years
way older than neanderthals - adam aside

taste buds they have more than 30, and we, 9000 plus
they are not fussy eaters, we cherish fine cuisine
(more, when they can be slyly written-off)

they are wild and are bred in captivity
we are bred in captivity and turn wild
they are mostly monogamous, and we
violate monogamy when in the dark

to express their love they bill
we whisper, caress, move to kiss
will end ruminating and not tell you who jumps
on whom, but you are free to guess

for jamil naqsh

pigeons, jamil naqsh and i

they have been older than you and I
hence the ornithological ramblings today
on columba livia and homo sapien

they blow their chest and circle the female
we vow till death or till another fair one smiles
they drag their rear while chasing females
we chase the rears to come ahead
they stick close to their intended target
we stray from target to target to target

look intently, rarely any two are alike
and with our similarities, we differ mightily
they are polymorphic, shades of gray
and white and colours in between
we are monomorphic, black, white
red and blue and colours in between

they have orange or red-orange eyes
we compensate with coloured lenses
they suck water, we use straws
- for arguments and diet drinks
they are solid and speckled and
we are tall, short, dark and fair
they have feet of red, iridescent necks
we have faces red and who knows
if harnessed energy harnesses us
might end up glowing in the dark

they fly fast, home-in uncannily
we wander lazily, long for home
after dark, they congregate on the window sills
as we fight traffic to our shacks, flats, houses
they have been around for 20 million years
way older than neanderthals - adam aside

taste buds they have more than30, and we, 9000 plus
they are not fussy eaters, we cherish fine cuisine
(more, when they can be slyly written-off)

they are wild and are bred in captivity
we are bred in captivity and turn wild
they are mostly monogamous, and we
violate monogamy when in the dark

to express their love they bill
we whisper, caress, move to kiss
will end ruminating and not tell you who jumps
on whom, but you are free to guess


for jamil naqsh

spring is in the air

(for khamkwah)

...three days back there was just this tinge of cool in the air...needed a light jacket for the evening walk...leaves had started turning paler...made a note to myself...should go on that drive up north one of these days to catch the fall fireworks...fall is absolutely gorgeous and those who have not experienced it miss an experience...

...there is a highway in US that comes up north through NY state and up Vermont...think it is 80 or 87...it is the one that is consistently voted the top three of the most scenic route in the US...we were driving up north to vermont and maine...in the fall...confession: for a person who does not like driving with a passion that drive was one memorable drive...the countryside was on fire...leaves with different hues of yellow-orange...the grounds covered in more leaves...chill in the air...a tizzy freshness in the nostrils…heralding the coming snow...and the way my mind is programmed...i imagine not the falling leaves and oncoming winter but visualize the newer leaves that will be adorning the branches in the spring...tiny microscopic leaves that one usually does not notice at all in cloudy winter days...

(digression: just like we never notice baby pigeons...only full grown pigeons...saw this display of jamil naqsh at the mohatta palace...there was a period in his life...from 70 to early 90s when he was fascinated to the degree of being obsessive with pigeons in his paintings...looking at that collection i wondered first about not having seen any baby pigeons in real life...have you?)

...ut one day the sun breaks through the clouds and suddenly we notice the chill in the air giving way to fresh warmth, new leaves on the tree...suddenly we hear the birds chirping...squirrels scurrying on the ground...up from their hibernation...and just the visualization brings smile to lips...circle of life continues...

...for a karachite even after these years the four mergers are always fascinating...karachi has only one season...or a variation of one season...hot and hotter:)...and this merger of spring into summer into fall into winter into spring is always interesting and invigorating...perhaps this is why my glass is half full even when empty...

The Perfectlymadebirds Epic: dOvemaster Series One.

The The Perfectlymadebirds Epic: dOvemaster Series One. can go with pigeons, jamil naqsh and i